Spanish couple held in Singapore over football protest

A Spanish couple on their honeymoon in Singapore have been detained after protesting against the Singaporean owner of the football club they support.

Dani Cuesta posted photographs of himself outside the home of Peter Lim, the billionaire owner of Valencia CF, holding a banner criticising the business magnate.

Mr Cuesta and his partner Mireia Sáez were stopped while trying to leave Singapore airport on Friday and had their passports confiscated, Valencia Mayor María José Catalá told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

It is unclear what charges the pair face, if any, but the matter will be resolved later on Wednesday, the BBC understands.

Singapore has some of the world’s strictest laws on public assembly, which includes assemblies even of one person.

The government says these laws are necessary to maintain order and safety.

In 2020, a Singaporean activist who had long campaigned for freedom of speech was arrested for posing with a placard of a smiley face.

Shortly after arriving in Singapore on Thursday, Mr Cuesta posted on X that he would “take some photos with my lovely flag”, which reads “Lim Go Home”.

Mr Lim is deeply unpopular with Valencia fans, who have seen their club’s fortunes decline significantly over the course of his ten-year tenure.

Encouraged by users online, Mr Cuesta posted a series of photos of himself at various tourist spots in Singapore holding the yellow banner.

Another image shows him outside what is believed to be the luxury complex where Mr Lim lives in Singapore.

A video shows Mr Cuesta placing a yellow sticker reading “Lim out”, a common sight in the city of Valencia, on the residence’s gate.

The images quickly went viral among Valencia fans and Mr Cuesta even gave an interview to a Spanish football podcast on Thursday.

“The idea of doing the honeymoon in Singapore was my wife’s but when we arrived, I had this lightbulb moment,” Mr Cuesta told Tribuna Deportiva.

“We spent all morning going around Singapore, spending money on taxis – but I told her ‘this is something I have to do’. Every act is like a grain of sand,” he added.

Mr Cuesta had earlier joked on X that he did not want to “end up in a Singapore prison as that’s not the way I see my honeymoon going”.

The following day, as they attempted to board a flight to Bali, Singapore authorities stopped Mr Cuesta and Ms Sáez, according to Valencia’s mayor.

“[The Spanish embassy in Singapore] confirmed that two people had their passports taken away, due to an ongoing police investigation,” Ms Catalá told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

“They have not been told what type of crime they are being investigated for. They can leave their hotel but not the country,” she added.

Valencia CF, meanwhile, said it was aware of the situation of two of the club’s supporters in Singapore.

“Valencia CF and La Liga are in contact with the Spanish embassy in Singapore, who have assured us that both are being advised and assisted in everything necessary with the objective of this being resolved as quickly as possible,” the club said in a statement.

Neither the Spanish Embassy in Singapore nor the Singapore police have responded to the BBC’s request for comment.

One of Singapore’s richest men, Mr Lim purchased Valencia CF in 2014 and became the first foreign owner in the club’s history.

After an initial honeymoon period, he quickly became unpopular with fans as the team’s performances declined and the club ran up huge debts off the pitch.

Traditionally a team that would challenge for league and European titles, Valencia currently lie second-bottom in the league.

Mr Lim has particularly been criticised for his friendship with Portuguese “super agent” Jorge Mendes and his alleged influence on the club’s recruitment of players and coaches.

Another associate of Mr Lim is former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, with whom he co-owned English lower-league club Salford City until earlier this year.

Despite having no managerial experience, Mr Neville was appointed Valencia’s head coach in 2015 but was sacked four months later after a disastrous spell in charge.

Libertad VCF, a Valencia fan group, said in a statement it had “total support and solidarity” with the Cuesta couple and called for them to be “freed immediately”.

“Their freedom of movement has been violated, simply for peacefully exercising their right to expression,” the statement added.